Method for the exterior finishing of vehicles



Jan. 15, 1957 J. w. SHEFFER EI'AL METHOD FOR THE EXTERIOR FINISHING OF VEHICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 21, 1952 Jan. 15, 1957 J. w. SHEFFER ETAL 2,777,782

METHOD FOR THE EXTERIOR FINISHING OF VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21, 1952 I IN VEH TORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 15, 1957 J. w. SHEFFER ETAL 2,777,782

METHOD FOR THE EXTERIOR FINISHING OF VEHICLE S Filed Nov. 21, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 15, 1957' J. w. SHEFFER ETAL 2,777,782

SHING OF VEHICLES METHOD FOR THE EXTERIOR FINI 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 21, 1952 1957 J. w. SHEFFER EIAL 2,777,782

METHOD FOR THE EXTERIOR FINISHING OF VEHICLES Filed NOV. 21, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. JOHMWSHEFFER 9 EDMUNQA. WA 75 01v ORNEY atent thee 2,777,782 METHOD FOR m EXTERIOR FINISG F VEHICLES John W. Shefier, Willi Watson, Ridgewood, N. 3., assignors to AJF Industries, Incorporate a corporation of New .lersey Application November 21, 19952, Serial No. 321,884 1 Claim. (Cl. 11749) This invention relates to an improved method for the exterior finishing of railway cars and similar vehicles, the

practice, the cars to be finished are run into a large 1 eated shop or stationary booth where paint or other coating is applied,

paint overspray and fumes incident to the spraying operation cannot be efficiently confined to and exhausted from the area of spray application. This condition results in spreading or" the overspray and fumes over a wide area, which is injurious to workmen breathing the contaminated air and constitutes a fire hazard in the paint shop. Further, the necessity of moving the cars through the paint shop requires the use of motive power, which adds to the cost of the painting operation. In addition, these the cost of adequately heating and ventilating such large areas is substantial. The car surfaces should not only be thoroughly dry before application of the paint, but should also be heated to a temperature sufficient to insure the proper bonding of the paint to the surfaces. This is often difilcult to do with present methods especially where the cars are run into the heated shop after standing in a cool place and moisture from the warm air condenses on the car surfaces.

it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method for the exterior finishing of railway cars and the like in which the cars are progressively coated with paint while standing stationary.

Another 0 ject of the invention is to provide a selective method of progressively treating and painting the side of a stationary object.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved method as above described in which sections of the car exterior surfaces are first progressively heated, spray painted, and the paint then progressively dried, all in a substantially single continuous operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus train for the exterior finishing of railway cars adapted to run alongside a train of cars standing on a track to progressively heat, spray paint and dry the car sur -ces in continuous sequenc A further object of the invention is to provide a finishing train for progressively painting the side of a railway car composed of heating and painting cars that can be arranged in difierent orders of sequence to best suit atmospheric and temperature conditions.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the spray booth of the apparatus in position for spraying a railway car.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the spray booth taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure ort, Pa., and Edmund A.

2, a portion of the structure being broken away to more clearly disclose other parts thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 55 of Figure 1 showing the heating, spraying and drying booths of the apparatus in side elevation.

F1 .res 6 and 7 are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 66 and 77 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a side view of a modified type of finishing train employed when two colors of paint are used.

Figure 9 is a side view of another type of finishing train employed when preliminary heating or drying of the car side is not required.

Figure 10 is a side View of another arrangement of finishing train employed when drying of the paint coat is not required.

Figure 11 is a side view of still another arrangement of finishing train employed when two colors of paint are to be employed and preliminary heating of the railway car side is not necessary.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, a railway car C is shown on track T in position for spray application of paint or similar coating, or any other fluid with which the car is to be treated. A spray booth B has a base portion 6 and an overhanging top portion 7 arranged to partially embrace the car or other object to be sprayed. The framework of the booth includes upright channels 55 joined together by top inner and outer horizontal channels 9, inner base channels 1%, outer upper and lower base channels ll, l2, respectively and intermediate channels 13. A floor 14, formed with openings through which t .e upright channels 8 extend, is supported on the inner base channels i and out-er upper base channels 11. This floor extends beyond the upright channels 8 to provide a top cover plate 15 over the base portion 6. The top outer channels 9 at the ends of the booth are extended forwardly and tied together by a similar channel 16 to form the frame for overhanging portion '7. A roof or top plate .17, mounted on top channels 9 and channel 16, covers the top of the booth and is provided with air inlet louvres 18 in the overhanging portion 7. The framework is covered by sheet metal or similar panels 19 forming the side wall of the booth, panels 2%? forming the end walls, panel 21 forming the front wall of the overhanging portion and panel 94 forming the front wall of the projecting under portion secured to floor 14.

The base structure 6 of the booth includes the lower portion of upright channels 8, inner and outer base channels 10, 11, which project laterally beyond the upright channels under floor l4 and top cover plate 15, and lower base channels 12, which extend only between the upright channels 8. A supporting truss structure is formed by a pair of spaced longitudinally extending plates 22 at the outer side of the base portion and another pair of more widely spaced plates 23 at the inner side of the base 6. All of these longitudinal plates extend the full length of the base structure beyond the upright channels 8 beneath the floor l4 and base cover plate 15, except the inner of plates 23 w ich extends only between opposite upright channels and outer base channes 11, 12. The plates are fitted around and secured to base channels 10, ll, 12, to floor 14 and base cover plate 15 by longitudinally extending angle bars 24, 25 and additionally to the base channels by angle pieces 26, forming a rigid supporting truss structure. The ends of the base portion are closed by end walls 27 secured to upright angle bars 28 connected at the ends of angle bars 24, 25 and to top cover plate 15 by horizontal angles 29, the bottom of the base being reinforced by outer channels 39. The booth is mounted on wheels 32 running on rails 34 extending alongside the car C, the wheels at the outer side of the are-rastbootlr beingjournalled between the plates 22-and at the inner side of axle brackets 36 plates 23.

The end walls 26' of; the booth have forwardly proje'ct ing upper end portions 38 and forwardly projectingbottom end portionsti. These projecting wall portions are so arranged and of such dimensions as to embrace or envelop in spaced relation thereto the outer surface of vehicles of varying smaller contours. Profile plates 42 of substantially the same contour as the surface to be sprayed are detachably connected by fasteners 44 to the edges of the forwardly extending wall portions 38 and end walls 20. These profile plates do not entirely close or span the space between the end walls 20, wall portions 38, 4t and the surface being sprayed, but are of such size as to' be spaced from thesaid surface when in operative position. The space below the bottom edge of the front wall 21. -of top portion 7 and the surface being sprayed is partially closed by-an upper adjustable plate 46 preferably formed of rubber. This plate 46 is slidable in guideways 48 on the upper wall portions 38-and is held in any one of a plurality of adjusted positions to accommodate the contourof the vehicle to be sprayed by means of a pin 50 passing through alined holes in the plate and guideways. Outwardly swinging doors 52, 54 are provided in end walls 20 for entrance to and exit from the booth, the door52 being provided on its inside surface with a flight of rungs 56 forming a ladder permitting access to an elevator platforrnSS. This platform is made up of a pair of spacedjside rails 60 connected together by a grille or grating 62 a sufficient distance from the end of the platform adjacent door 52 top'rovide an opening large enough for one topass through when using the ladder 56 to reach and descend from theplatform. The ends of the side rails 60 at the outer side of the booth are guided in upright channels tweenthe pairs of spaced channels 8, as shown in' Figure3, thus preventing lateral movement of the platform butpermitting'its vertical movement. The elevator platform 58 is suspended by four cables 64, one being connected. to each end of the side rails 60 and running through the top of the booth over roller devices 66 secured thereon. The pairs of cables ateach side of the booth are wound in opposite directions on and anchored to sheaves 68 also secured'to the roof of the booth and rotated by a shaft 74) provided with a gear 72. The shaft 70 is turned by means of a pulley wheel device'74 acting through the worm '76 meshing with gear '72. The pulley wheel 74 is actuated by a' chain 78 extending through the roof 1'7 of-the booth within easy reach of one standing on'platform 58 for manipulation to either raise or lower the platform. p

The booth is equipped with anair compressor s fl mounted on the roof and from which a pipe 82 extendsthroughthe roof to provide .a connection for spraying apparatus (not shown) such as a hose and nozzle. Current'for operating the compressor is obtained through a trolley 34 located on top of the booth in slidable contact with a power line'86 running coextensive with the direction of travel of the booth. V The booth is also equipped with a motor M carried within the base 6 and having a gear 37 in position to driverone of the wheels 32 through a gear 38 secured to the inner face thereof. The motor is provided with suitable controls to permit runningof the booth at a predetermined and continuous rate of speed along the rails 34 during the spraying operation.

Like the air compressor 89, electric current for operating motor M is obtained through the'trolley 84.-

7 The floor 14 of thebooth is provided with a substantially centrally located grid or grating 90 and formed at 1 its inner side edge with 'anarrow'cut-out portion 92 of the same length as the grating. A chute 94f formed integral with lower plate outer edgesof and below I preferably 94 is secured around the which terminates 8 while at the inner side they are arranged bethe grating 96 and cut-out floorsecured to the outer of all 'of the rollers lugs 96 by witha suitable sou'rce of water pressure.

portion-92-and secured-emu d and encompassing-openings 96 formed in truss plates 23. The space between the upper edge of the plate 94 and the lower side wall of the car being sprayed is regulated bya lower adjustable plate 98 similar to the 'upperyadjustable plate 46. The plate 93 is slidable inrguideways ltllt on the'lower pro.- jecting wall portions 40 and like plate to accommodate varying contours by means of a pin 102 which is passed through alined holes in the-plate and guideways. The plates 239m reinforced at the openbraces 194 andthe bottom edges of the plates are provided with sealing strips 106 arranged to slide in grooves 108 at opposite sides of a slit 119 opening into a discharge trough .112 underneath and extending the length of rails 34. "Secured across the slit or elongated opening 110 are spaced bars 113 on which rests a flexible strip or material closing the opening 110 in the trough 112. The

118 and carrier rollers 120 under the floor 14 and between the spaced plates 23 in which are joufnalled. The flexible strip 114 is thus raised or lifted' as the booth moves in either direction to uncover that'p'ortion over pickup rollers which form a substantiallyjenclosed air outlet for the booth.

The bottom of sloping, as more clearly shown in Figure 5, and provided with longitudinally extending spray pipes 122 connected drainage basin 124 is connected with 126. Also at this end of end of the' trough a a sewer or other disposal pipe the trough 112 is an air'conduit stack in which is a fan 136 driven by a motor 132. The air'drawn by the fan enters the booth through louvres 18 in the top or roof:17 and through the space between the profile-plates 42, adjustable plates 46, 98 and the surface of car C, as indicated by the arrows'in Figure 2. The air flows downwardly through the grille elevator plat:

form '58, floorgrat1n'g 90, floor cut-out portion" 92, chute ,94' and into the sprays 134. The fan is discharge trough 112 through water of such power as to pr'oduce air flow of sufficient velocity'and volume to create a slightly negative pressure'or suction 'in' the trough 112, acting to hold the flexible strip 114 closed over opening 110. The negative pressure in trough 112 will also act by suction to quickly'and completely exhaust the paint overspray and fumes from booth B into the trough 112. The water sprays134cleanse1theair of overspray particles of pigment or the like, carrying them into the water which they are drained off through The'air isthusfr'ee ofsuch overspray before reaching the fan, avoiding-clogging thereof and contamination of the outsideatmosphere. V

It will be seen'th'at a spraying system has been provided in which the 3 spray isconfined substantially to the 7 area ofapplication-and the overspray completely and quickly exhausted. "'A novel running valve connection has been provided for a moving booth insuring continuous communication between the booth and exhaust outlet during movement of'the booth. Further, the booth is adapted to' carry all necessary spraying apparatus together with its operators and to be runat a continuous and:controlled-"rate"of speed whereby an uninterrupted spray application may, be 'madesimultaneously to both upper andlower portions ofa'railway car or other vehicle. In addition, the booth -is"adapted= for usein spraying vehicles or various contours and :sizes. For example, if it is desired to spraya car D as shown in 46 is adjustable.

belting 114 of synthetic rubber or similar of the opening 110 beneath thebooth and maintain constant communication between the'boothfand discharge trough 112.. In other words,

and-discharge trough through'the floor the "discharge trough 112 is slightlyv At the lower 128' leading to an exhaust W with the disposal pipe 126. V

Figure 2 of differb ent size and shape than car C, the detachable profile This spacing will normally supply a sufficient volume of air so that in most instances the air supply from air inlet louvres 18 can be dispensed with. The spraying operation is thus not only reduced in With'the spraying system described, it will be seen that an improved method for the exterior finishing of railway cars is provided in which an area alongside of and slightly spaced from the surface of the car to be finished is progressively confined by the power propelled the sides of which they are continuously exhausted, the problems of air contamination, ventilation and fire hazard are also The heating booth car precedes and is propelled by the spray booth car as both move together alongside the cars C and E in a direction to the left as viewed in Fig. 5. The heating booth car A is generally similar in size and shape to the spray booth car B.

The heating booth car A includes a vertical side Wall 45, an overhanging roof 33 and a base portion 35. A panel 39 equipped with a bank of electric heating lamps or bulbs 37 extending the entire height of the car side top of the heating booth car A and in slidable contact with the electric power line 86.

By use of the above described heating booth car A with the spray booth car B a method has been provided which includes the step of progressively heating sections feet a proper bond of the paint thereto.

The coating of paint is progressively dried as it is sprayed onto the car surfaces by a drying booth car F detachably coupled as indicated at 43 with the spray With the apparatus and method described, relatively small sections of the car exterior surface are progressively preheated to the required temperature only as they sides of the railway cars standing on the track. Thus, the necessity of heating and ventilating large areas for receiving the cars to be finished as well as movement of the cars is eliminated. The direction of the finishing operation The apparatus train is thus adapted to perform the com plete finishing operation starting from either end of a line of railway cars to suit prevailing conditions.

As shown in Fig. 7, the finishing train consists of a forward car A for heating and drying the railway car side, an intermediate paint spray boot car )3 and a rear car F for drying the paint on the railway car side. Finishing cars A and F are similar and all of the cars are provided with coupler sections at both ends so that they can be detachably joined at either end to an adjacent car as indicated by couplings 31.

The cars may be arranged and coupled in various relations and numbers to provide a finishing train suitable for varying conditions. Diiferent types of such trains are illustrated by Figs. 8 to 11.

When two paints of diiferent color are to be applied to the railway car side and the car side requires preliminary heating for drying or raising its temperature, the finishing train can be made up of a leading car A followed in order by cars B, F, B F as shown in Fig. 8. It will be noted that a drying car is interposed between the paint spray booth cars in order to dry the first coat of paint before application of the second coat. Masking and unmaking of railway car surfaces can be done while the train is progressing.

When drying or raising the railway car temperature is not required preliminary to applying paint, the finishing The finishing train can be made up of a leading heating and drying car A and a. following paint spray car 7 B;.as. shown in Fig. 10 when drying of the; paintedca'r side islno't' required;

Another type of finishing. train. is shown in Fig. 11 for use-where car A is not. required, as. in dry summer weather, and two colors of paint are to he used. Such train will include cars 13, F,.B--and F in the order named. The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in theart and the-exclusive use I of all modifications as come within the. scope of the appended clairns is contemplated.

What is claimed is: I I

The method of exterior finishing, the side of a railway car in uninterrupted successively concurrent steps'comprising progressively heating the. carside wall from end to end in continuously advancing fullheight sections thereof, progressively spray. paintingsaidfull' height car paint oversp'r ay from"said isolated'ienvelofling area into'i an otherwise cl'o 'ed fixed discharge trough coextensive:

with the side of the railway car, and then progressively.

applying drying'heat to said full jheight 'car side wall' sections as soon as theyhave' been spray painted, said first heating step, said'f'spray and saidfls'ecion'd heating step being carried out so that the distance be tween the points of performing the scparatesteps'is m intained substantially constant,

References Cited in the file o fithisipatnf' UNITED STATES PATENTS 

